Siphon-breaking means for liquid metering systems



Spt. 21, 1937. w. s. B RUBAkER 2,093,952 SIPHON BREAKING MEANS FOR LIQUID METERING SYSTEMS Filed April 5, 1957 awe/mm Zia/Z561 S. raid/Re?" Patented Sept. 21 1937 PATENT OFFICE SIPHON-BBQEAKING MEAfis FOR LIQUID METERING SYSTEMS Walter S. Brubaker, Oakland, Calif., assignor to Granberg Meter Corporation, San Francisc Calif., a corporation of California Application April 5, 1937, SeriaI No. 135,164

13 Claims.

The invention relates to a liquid metering system used primarily for measuring gasoline or gasoline from tank trucks, and for filling the tanks of oil-burning systems with fuel oil from tank trucks. With systems of this nature ordinarily relying "on gravity flow, the suction or neg- .ative pressure exerted by the hose increases as the tank becomes empty and if unbroken the siphonic action in the meter produced by this suction would totally or partially empty the meter upon, emptying of the tank; allowing air or gas to enter said meter and thereby causing inaccuracy both at the end of one liquid delivery operation and at the start of the next. To prevent this, it is customary to provide'the system with a siphon breaker, the purpose of which is to admit air into a suitable. portion of said system at the outlet side of the meter to break the siphonic action at the proper time. In certain metering systems, this air has. heretofore been supplied from a chamber which is instrumental in venting air and gases from the system at the inlet side of the meter to protect the latter against entrance of such air and gases. The liquid in discharging from the tank flows through thischamber and when the tank is about empty, said chamber re- .ceives air from said tank through the same passage which conducts the liquid from said tank to said chamber, and it has been the air entering through this passage which has been used for the purpose of breaking the siphon. However, before the chamber can supply sufiicient air to break the siphon, it is first necessary that said chamber contain all air required, and it very often does not. In this connection, it is to be borne in mind that the chamber receives this air through the same passage which supplies it with liquid. Therefore, this passage does not cleanly open and remain open when the tank is about empty but on the contrary, it is repeatedly opened and closed due to flow of "slugs of the liquid therethrough. The result is that the chamber often contains insufi'icient air to break the siphon when the siphon breaker first operates and consequentlysaid siphon breaker must operate repeatedly before the siphon is finally broken, often' allowing air or gas to enter the meter in the meantime.

It is theprimary object of the present invention to overcome the above objection, and in carrying out this end, other objects are to make novel provision for automatically conducting the siphon-breaking air from two independent sources to insure an adequate supply thereof, one of said sources being preferably the aforesaid 5 casing; to make novel provision ,whereby the means for conducting the siphon-breaking air also embodies means for venting air and gases from a portion of the system .at the inlet side of the meter; to provide a unique relation of ele- 10 ments in which the movements of the ordinary vent valve for eliminating air from the aforesaid casing, act to control the passage of the siphon breaking air from both of said sources into the system; to provide a novel relation whereby the vent valve serves to actuate an additional valve for admitting siphon-breaking air, even if the air admitted by said additional valve be the en- 'tire quantity required; and to provide a generally improved and practicable construction of simple and inexpensive nature.

With the foregoing and minor objects in view, the invention resides in the novel subject matter hereinafter described and claimed, description being accomplished by reference to the accompanying drawing.

- Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a liquid metering system includingthe present invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view- Y through the combined air release device, siphon breaker, and strainer.

Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view partly in elevation as indicated by line 3-3 of Fig. 2. I

Fig. 4 is a side elevation'partly broken away and in section showing a different construction for the combined air release device, siphon breaker and strainer.

In the drawing above briefly described, the numeral 5 denotes a tank from which liquid is to be discharged through a meter 6 without allowing entrance of air or gas to said meter. A discharge pipe! has been shown extending from the bottom of the tank 5 to the inlet 8 of a combined air release device, siphon breaker and strainer 9, the outlet ill of this combined device being appropriately connected either directly to or by piping,with the inlet l I of the meter 6. A liquid discharge line leads from the meter and in the present disclosure includes a faucet l2 and a hose l3. The combined device 9 is connected, in the present showing,-with thefaucet I2, by means of an air-conducting line H for the purpose of advmitting the siphon-breaking air at the proper time, but said device 9 could of course be connect- I point on the discharge side of the meter. While I may refer tothe siphon breaker or the like 9 as being disposed at the inlet side of the meter, the

language at the inlet side is not to be restricted as meaning directly adjacent to the meter, for the desired result could be obtained with said siphon breaker or the like 9 positioned at any suitable location between the meter 8 and the tank 5.

The device 9' includes a casing I 5 having a chamberklii which receives the liquid from the tank, said casing having the inlet 8 in one end and two additional inlets 8 in its sides, in the present disclosure, so that any of saidinlets may be used, as most convenient, and the others closed by appropriate plates II. The casing I 5 includes a dam I 8 over which the liquid must flow in leaving the chamber I 6, and an appropriate bucket-type strainer I 9 is 'provided beyond this dam to strain the liquid before it reaches the outlet in and flows on to the meter 6. At 20, a removable' plate has been shown for giving access to the strainer l9, allowing removal and cleaning of said strainer.

The top'2i of the casing I5 is providediwith an air and gas vent 22, and anupwardly closing winged valve 23 is provided for said vent, the lower end of said valve beingconnected with a lever 24 which is fulcrumedat 25 in the casing l5 and is provided with a float 26, said float being operated by the liquid in the chamber l6.

Secured upon the casing top 2i, is a valve casing 21 which communicates with the vent 22,

said valve casing having an air outlet 29 which is connected by the air conducting .line' with the faucet l2 or other appropriate part of the system. Whenever flow starts, with the float 26 in lowered position and the valve 23 open, all air and gas vent from the top of the casing l5 into the valve casing 27 and flow through the line I4- beyond the meter 6 so that they cannot enter the ,7

When the chamber l6 fills suilioiently with liquid, this liquid raises the float 26, therebylatter.

closing the valve 23,- and the gas-and-air-free liquid flows on through the meter. When the tank 5 is about empty, some air entersv the chamher It through the line 1 and the liquid in this chamber th'en lowers somewhat, causing-float 26 to move downwardly and open the valve 23. This allows passa e of air from the upper end of the chamber l9 through the vent 22, valve casing 21 and airline it into the system at apoint beyond the meter, and prior to the present invention, this air has been relied upon to break the siphonic action. However, due to the fact that the line I does not cleanly open and remain open when the tank is about empty but on the contrary repeatedly opens and closes due to passage of slugs" of liquid therethrough, the chamber It often contains aninsufllcient quantity of air .to break the siphon the first time the mechanism operates,

. the result being that said mechanism must repeatedly operate before the siphonic action is finally broken, often allowing air or gas to enter the meter in the meantime. I have, therefore, made novel provision for supplying air to the line I from a source other than the chamber l6 and entirely unafiected by flow of liquid through the 29 which preferably communicate with the atmospheric air at the exterior of the system, and

I provide a second valve 30 for controlling said air inlets 29, said valve 39 being operatively connected with the valve 23 by an extension stem 3i. The portion of thevalve casing 2'! receiving the valve 30 is preferably in the form of a cylinder with the inlets 29 in its side wall and said valve 30 is preferably in the form of a skirted piston with slots 32 in its skirt to register with the inlets 29 when air is to be admitted.

When liquid is being discharged from the tank 5, the float 28 holds the valve 23 closed and also holds the second valve 30 in theclosed position, as seen in Fig. 2.- When the tank 5 is about empty, however, and sufflcient air enters the chamber I 6 through the line Ito allow the float 26 to drop, said float opens the valve 23 and in so doing also opens the valve 30. The result is that air from a source unaffected by flow of liquid through the system, enters the inlets 29 and discharges through the outlet 28 and the air line I4, to immediately break the siphon. Simultaneously with this flow of air, some airwill of course flow from the upper end of the chamber l6 through the open vent- 22 and on through the air line id, but even if this air should be negligible the air .supplied through the inlets'29 will be adequate to perform the siphon-breaking operation. The reason why air enters at 22 and 29 and discharges as described is because. the pressure at the faucet is less than atmospheric pressure due to the suction effect of the hose. In the form of construction so far described, the float-actuated valve 23 is relied upon to vent air and gases from the chamber. I 6 when flow starts, but instead of using a valve such as 23 and a vent such as 22 controlled by saidvalve. I may merely provide the top of the device 9 with a vent line 33 for this purpose, as shown in Fig. 4, said vent line leading to the top of the tank .5 or to any other suitable point. When this through the outlet 28 ,.and flows through the air line l4 to break the siphon.

.In Figs. 1 to 3, it will be observed that air is supplied (through the inlets 29) to the line H, in

addition to the air supplied to said line through the vent 22 from the chamber l6, whereas in Fig. 4, the siphon-:breaking air is supplied entirely through the inlets 29'. In either instance, an ample supply of air is assured to cause immediate siphon-breaking upon the first operation of the mechanism and therefore it is insured that the siphonic action shall not draw air or gas into the meter.

system, enters through the inlets 29", passes In both forms of construction, it is preferable valve 35 which closes toward the device 9- or 9, for when the tank 5 is substantially full, such plus pressure exists in the delivery side of the system as to possibly cause flow of liquid through the line H into the casing 2'|.

It will be seen from the foregoing that novel and advantageous provision has been made for carrying out the object of the invention, and while the present disclosure may be considered as preferred, it is also to be considered as fllustrative rather than limiting, for numerous variations may be made within the scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim:-

1. In a liquid metering system in which unbroken siphonic action would empty the meter, said system including a liquid-conducting casing through which the liquid flows to said meter; valved conducting'means controlled by the liquid in said casing for venting air and gas therefrom when -fiow starts and for conducting siphonbreaking air from said casing to a portion of the system at the outlet side of the meter when the liquid lowers in said casing, and additional valved means for automatically :admitting additional siphon-breaking air to said conducting means from a source other than said casing and unaffected by flow of liquid through the system.

2. In a liquid metering system in which unbroken siphonic action would empty the meter, said system including a liquid-conducting casing through which the liquid flows to said meter;

.valved conducting means controlled by the liquid in said casing for venting air and gas'therefrom when flow starts and for conducting siphonbreaking air from said casing to a portion of the system at the outlet side of the meter when the liquid lowers in said casing, and additional valved means for automatically admitting additional sisaid vent, a valve-operating member connected with said valve and operated by the liquid in said liquid-conducting casing, a valve casing mounted on said liquid-conducting casing and communicating with said air and gas vent, a passage leading from said valve casing to a portion of the system at the outlet side of the meter for"conducting siphon-breaking air thereto when said valve opens, said valve casing having another air inlet communicating with a source of air other than said liquid-conducting casing and unaffected by fiow of liquid through the system for admitting additional siphon-breaking air, and a valve for said additional air inlet connected with the first named valve to be opened therewith and closed therewith.

4. In a metering system in which unbroken siphonic action would empty the meter; automatic means controlled by the system-contained liquid for conducting siphon-breaking air simultaneous- Y ly from two independent sources to a portion of the system at the outlet side of the meter.

5. A structure as specified in claim 4; said automatic means including two valves for the two sources of air respectively, said valves being consystem for venting air from a portion of said system at the inlet side of the meter as said portion fills with liquid and for later conducting siphonbreaking air from one source to a portion of the system at the outlet side of the meter, and automatic means controlled by the liquid in the system for conducting additional siphon-breaking air from a second source to a portion of the system at the outlet side of the meter, the two automatic means being simultaneously operative.

8. In a liquid metering system in which unbroken siphonic action would empty the meter, said system having an air eliminator casing through which liquid flows to 'the meter; automatic means for venting air from said casing as the latter fills with liquid and for later conducting siphon-breaking air to a portion of the system at the outlet side of the meter, said automatic means including means for conducting some of said siphon-breaking air from said casing and the remainder of said siphon-breaking air from a second source independent of said casing,

9. In a liquid metering system in which un-. broken siphonic action would empty the meter, said system having an air eliminator casing through which liquid flows to the meter; automatic means for venting air from said casing as the latter fills with liquid and for later conducting siphon-breaking air to a portion of the system at the outlet side of the meter, said automatic means including one valve for conducting some of said siphon-breaking .air from said casing, and a -sec-- 0nd valve for conducting the remainder of said siphon-breaking air from a second source independent of said casing. l

10. In a liquid metering system in which unbroken siphonic action would empty the meter, said system having an air eliminator casing through which liquid flows to the meter; auto,- matic means for venting air vfrom said casing as the latter fills with liquid and for later conducting siphon-breaking air to a portion of the system at the outlet side of the meter, said automatic means including one valve for conducting some 'of said siphon-breaking air from said casing, and a second valve for conducting the remainder of said-siphon-breaking air from a said system including a liquid-conducting casing through which liquid flows to said meter, said casing being provided with an air and gas vent; a valve for said vent, an operating member for said valve actuated by the liquid in said casing, valve encasing means on the aforesaid casing to receive siphon-breaking air from said vent, said valve encasing means having an inlet to receive additional siphon breaking air from an additional source, means for conducting the siphon-breaking air from said valve encasing means to a portion of the system at the outlet side of the meter, and a valve for controlling the passage of air from said additional source to said conducting means, this valve being connected with and actuated by the first named valve. o

12. In a liquid metering system in which unbroken siphonic action would empty the meter, said system having an air eliminator casing through which liquid flows to the meter; a vent valve controlled by liquid in said casing for venting air and gases therefrom, and additional valve means actuated by said vent valveifor conducting siphon-breaking air to a portion of the system at the outlet side" of the meter.

13. In a liquid metering system in which unbroken siphonic action would empty the meter, said system having an air eliminator casing through which liquid flows to the meter; a valve casing mounted on said air eliminator casing and having an air inlet independent thereof, an air conducting line extending from said valve casing '5 to a portion of the system at the outlet side of the meter -for conducting siphon-breaking air into the same, a valve in said valve casing for controlling the passage ot air from said air inlet through said air conducting'line, a float in said air eliminator casing, and means operatively connecting said float with said valve.

' WALTER S. BRUBAKER. 

